Elevator-locking device



A. F. FROUSSARD.

ELEVATOR LOCKlN'G oEvicE. APPLICATION FILED JAN- 5,1920- 1,376,6 7, Patented May 3, 1921.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ELEVATOR-LOCKING DEVICE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 3, 1921.

Application filed January 5, 1920. Serial No. 349,591.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ALBERT F. FRoUssARD, a citizen of the United States, residing at St. Louis, State of Missouri, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Elevator-Locking Devices; and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to improvements in elevator locking devices.

So far as I am aware, devices for locking elevators have been of such construction that they serve only to lock the car at the different floors of the buildings. In such devices the actuating cable is generally equipped with stops which are arranged in such position on the cable that they only serve to stop the elevator at the different floors of buildings. Devices of this type are inferior in that they do not serve to lock the car between the floors if accident should occur and it is desired to stop further descent of the car.

It is the object of this invention to provide a locking device to be used in connection with the elevators which will lock the car at any desired point of its travel, whether in between the floors or not, thereby providing a locking device which will stop the descent of the car immediately when the device is put into action, should anything happen. to-the car during its travel up or down.

Another object of the invention is to provide a locking device of the above mentioned character which consists of very few parts; one which is strong, durable, effective in operation, inexpensive to manufacture, and which is of such construction that the parts may be readily removed for repairing, etc.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent during the course of the following description.

In the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification and in. which like numerals are employed to designate like parts throughout the same,

Figure 1 is an elevation of the device constructed in accordance with my Invention, the same being shown secured to a portion of the elevator.

Fig. 2 is a view like Fig. 1 showing portions of the device broken away to illustrate the internal mechanism thereof.

Figs. 3, 4 and ,5, are sections on the planes of the lines 3-3, 4-4 and 5-5 respectively. of Fig. 1.

Fig. 6 is a detail view, partly in section, of one of the elements of my device.

In the drawings, wherein for the purpose of illustration. is shown a preferred embodiment of my invention, the numeral 1 indicates a portion of an elevator to which my safety locking device is secured. I desire to state here, that my locking device may be secured to any part of the elevator, just as long as it is in convenient reach of the operator. Some elevators are provided with an. arm (not shown) which is in close reach of the operator and I preferably secure my locking device to this arm. The device consists mainly of an attaching member 2 which includes a stationary jaw 3. In addition to the stationary jaw 3 the attaching member includes a pair of spaced flanges 4. through which suitable attaching screws or bolts 5 pass and serve to secure the whole device on the elevator. While Ihave shown flange and set screws for securing the member on the elevator, I desire it to be understood that any suitable means may be employed for this purpose. Adjacent to the jaw 3 and extending transversely of the attaching member 2 is an opening or recess 6 which permits passage of the tiller rope or line 7 therethrough. It is well known that the tiller rope is actuated by the operator of the car, and this tiller rope is connected in any manner with the valve or other mechanism for starting or stopping the car. Extending longitudinally of the attaching member and communicating therewith, that is, intersecting the transverse tiller line passage 6, is a second recess 8 in which a slidable member or movable jaw 9 is mounted and is adapted to be moved to and from the tiller rope by means to be hereinafter described. The recess 8 may be of any desired shape, but it is here shown as being substantially square, although it may be of any other non-circular formation. The slidable jaw or head 9 is likewise fiatfaced and is adapted to fit snugly in the passage 8. Jaw 9 has its outer free end formed with a seat 10 which is designed to effectively fit the tiller rope 7, and when this jaw 9 is moved into engagement with the rope 7 it forces it tightly into the curved seat of the stationary jaw 3. If desired either one or both of the curved seats of jaws 9 and 3 may be serrated so as to eflectively grip the tiller line 7 and prevent any accidental slipping as might otherwise occur. Jaw 9 is moved into and out of engage ment with the cable 7 by means of a handle or lever 11 which is movable in an angular slot 12 formed in the attaching member 2 and closing plate 13. This slot 12, as is obvious, is in effect a cam slot and when the lever is moved either up or down, the slidable member 9 is caused to move toward or from rope 7. Operative coaction between the lever'll and sliding jaw member 9 may be had by connecting the lever 11 with the member 9 in any suitable manner. However, I have shown the member 9 as including a stem 14, and I have mounted a sleeve 15 rotatably on the stem 14, and to the sleeve I have secured the operating lever 11, which as shown more particularly in Fig. 4 is detachably connected to this sleeve. Any suitable means may be employed for securing the sleeve 15 on the pin 14:, such as for instance a cotter-pin l6 and any suitable number of washers 17. I prefer to employ the above-mentioned parts because such an arrangement permits me to adjust the space between the jaws 9 and 3 to accommodate different sizes of tiller lines. In some instances tiller lines are thin, in other instances they are thick, but by employing the washers 17 and cotterpin 16 it will be seen that I may readily adjust the device to work effectively on different sizes of tiller lines. In order to secure such adjustment-it will of course be necessary first to remove the closing plate 13 which is secured to the attaching member by means of screws 18. After the plate has been removed the slidable jaw 9 and the parts associated therewith may be removed from the recess 8. Now, by removing the cotter-pin l6 and either taking off a washer or washers, and placing said washers between the head 9 and sleeve 15, the device may be'adjusted to accommodate smaller tiller ropes.

In operation, the device will be secured to a any part of the elevator within convenient reach of the operator by means of the spaced flanges 4 and attaching screws 5. The plate 13 being removed, the tiller line 7 may be placed in the transverse opening 6 after which the jaw 9 and parts associated therewith will be placed in the longitudinal recess or opening 8. To retain these parts in proper position the closing plate 13 is then placed in position and held in such position by means of the screws 18 and the angular or diagonal slot therein is now in alinement with a similar slot in the attaching member 2. Handle 11 is permitted to extend through the angular slots in the plate 13 and attaching member 2. Should the operator of the car desire to stop it at any point of its travel it will be necessary only for him to grasp the handle 11 and pull it down which movement will cause the slidable jaw 9 to be moved forward and into engagement with the tiller rope 7 and hold the rope tightly between itself and the jaw 3 and stop further descent of the car.

A device of the foregoing construction is exceedingly simple in construction and the parts are of such arrangement and formation, that they may be readily removed for repairing or replacing with new parts. The device too, is positive in operation and its grip on the tiller line 7 is sufficient to prevent the car from further downward movement when the device is placed in action. In fact, the device has been actually put into use and has proved successful in every way.

From the foregoing construction, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings the manner in which the device operates and the main advantages thereof are thought to be obvious from the foregoing description, therefore, further description is deemed unnecessary.

It is to be understood that the form of my invention herein shown and described is to be taken as a preferred form of the same, and that various minor changes in the shape, size and arrangement of parts may be resorted to without departure from the spirit of the invention or the scope of the subj oined claims.

I claim:

1. A locking device for elevators comprising an attaching member provided with a stationary jaw, a vertical passage for the tiller line adjacent the jaw, a cam slot in its upper face near its opposite end, and a horizontal recess in one side intersecting the vertical passage, a second jaw slidable in said horizontal recess, said second jaw including a head provided with a stem, and a sleeve rotatably mounted on the stem, a handle secured to said sleeve and extending through the cam slot, a face-plate carried by said member, closing said passage and recess and provided with a cam slot coacting with the first slot, and means to retain the sleeve on the stem, said sleeve permitting said second jaw to be adjusted to accommodate different sizes of tiller ropes.

2. A locking device for elevators comprising an attaching member provided with a stationary jaw, a vertical passage for the tiller line adjacent the jaw, and a cam slot in its upper facenear its opposite end, and a non-circular horizontal recess in one side intersecting the vertical passage; a second jaw slidable in said recess, including a flatfaced head provided with an apertured cylindrical stem, a tubularsleeve rotatable on the stem, a plurality of washers also on the latter, and a retaining pin passing through the aperture in the stem, a handle secured to said sleeve and extending through the cam slot, a face-plate carried by said member, closing said passage and recess and provided with a cam slot coacting with the first slot.

3. A locking device for elevators comprising an attachlng member provided with a stationary jaw, a passage for the tiller line, a second passage communicating with the first passage, and cam means; a second 3' aw including a sleeve rotatable and slidable in the second passage, and a head also slidable in this passage, said head being provided with a stem extending through sald sleeve; means for adjusting the head with respect to the sleeve, and a handle connected to the latter for coaction with the aforesaid cam means.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand.

ALBERT F. FROUSSARD. 

